Rise Up
by xSeshatx
Summary: {Oneshot} Thor comes back to visit...and he brings Loki. (Part 11 of the Peter Parker: Future Hearts series)


Thunderstorms weren't that common in February because, well, winter. There were snowstorms, but thunderstorms with the rain, thunder, and lightning? Not common. They could actually be classified as _un_common. When the thunder first hit, Peter's Spidey sense flared up in a heads-up but not an actual warning. He groaned as he stood up from his position on the couch to walk over to the window, peering outside curiously because, again, it was uncommon. The snow from earlier had switched to rain. When he asked Friday what the temperature was, she responded with fifty degrees. Not normal, especially since hours before it had been in the low twenties, about average for the past three months, with the exception of a handful of warm days.

Going out as Spider-Man in the cold was a battle, so he would know first-hand just how cold it had been since December. November? Since a while ago.

"Tony?" Peter called out, knowing that Friday would connect them.

"Looks like we got a visitor," Tony said after a moment. Peter looked at the ceiling in question despite the fact that they weren't in the same room. "Come on, kid, you're smart. Thunder in February?"

"Thor's here?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately lost his cool. Thor had been his celebrity crush since, like, _ever_. Aside from Tony, he was definitely the coolest Avenger. He was a demigod. If that wasn't impressive, then what was? The man was good-looking, funny, _magical_, and a great warrior. What else could anybody want?

"Woah there, fanboy. You're wearing your shooters. You know I can see your vitals and when they spike, right? Of course you do. Because my phone just lit up. Are you really freaking out because Thor is here to visit, or is it something else?"

"He. Is. A. _God._"

Silence, then, "Oh my god, Parker. I'm hanging up on you. Go to your room. You're grounded."

Peter laughed at that because Tony was so dramatic. Then, he made his way up over to entrance to the Compound, feeling eternally grateful that they had decided to spend the weekend upstate. Maybe they would have missed Thor if they stayed at the Tower. Unless Thor went to the Tower first. No matter what, he was there now. That's all that mattered.

Oh, he was definitely going to make a fool out of himself. It took him weeks to even come close to having normal conversations with the rest of the Avengers without stuttering. Clint teased him for weeks. Sometimes, he still brought it up. Peter could be such a fanboy that it was insane. Whenever Bruce talked science around him for the first, like, six months of them knowing each other, his heart would beat quicker and he would go back to his default stuttering. There was no way he'd be able to make it through a meeting with Thor without embarrassing himself. He could already feel the embarrassment seeping through.

Tony met him at the front with an exaggerated sigh and eyeroll. "You never listen to me."

"You love it," Peter answered and then dodged a lazy hit thrown his way. Laughing, he turned to look out the door and saw Thor and…Loki? The atmosphere changed instantaneously as Tony straightened his back out and looked prepared to call his suit to him. His Spidey sense was quiet, even staring at the face of the man who tried to take over the world when he was a child. "Tony, I don't think he's here to fight."

"It's Loki," Tony said, not taking his eyes off of Loki.

"Dad." That got his attention. "I'm not getting bad vibes. You don't have to trust him, but you shouldn't get yourself ready for a fight. It's not good for your old age."

Insulting and joking with Tony was one of the quickest ways to calm him down. That was a trick he learned even before moving in with him, but after living with him for going on a whole year, he was able to see Tony in all kinds of compromising situations. He was more than just the man he'd see some weekends to talk science with now. He saw pretty much every side of him at one point or another. So, he knew just how to relax him. After that_ Skip_ situation was taken care of, it was Peter who was calm and Tony who was a little bit of a nervous wreck. Peter felt bad for making Tony worry so much, so he's been in a default 'pick on Tony' mode for the past two weeks. "Keep running your mouth," Tony warned. There was no malice behind his words. He lowered his hands and put on more of a neutral expression – the look saved for uncomfortable situations with people who weren't allowed to see a worry face.

Tony moved to open the door for the two when they got close and Thor smiled at him. "Greetings, friend," Thor said, his voice loud and happy. "I apologize for the surprise visit. I was wondering if we could have a chat. Also, where exactly are we? I was expecting to see the Avengers Tower when I set out."

"This is the Avengers Compound," Tony explained. "Made this place a while ago. Right around Ultron. We still have the Tower, though. Most of the team are there right now, actually, if you were planning a full family reunion. I don't think anybody else is up here. Speaking of family reunions, what's reindeer ears doing here?"

Peter barely held back the snort at that because Reindeer Ears? The reference was lost on him, but it was still funny to hear. He hadn't started fanboying over Thor yet, but the joke and easy-going conversation so far made it inevitable. The last thing he wanted was to bring attention to himself by laughing. If things hadn't been so tense, he probably would have lost it already.

"I have a name, Stark," Loki had sighed, though he didn't look terribly offended. More annoyed than anything. Or maybe amused. It was probably both.

"Loki means no harm," Thor said. He didn't look offended, either. "I know he has given you no reason to trust him, but would I be wrong in assuming you have trust in me?"

Trust meant a lot coming from Tony. "I do," Tony said, sounding honest, but he followed it up with, "but I know he's family." Judging by that, Peter and Tony were both thinking about Steve and Bucky. The Accords. The fight. The loss of a friendship and the start of a war.

"It is different this time, my friend. Could we at least speak before you decide to have doubt in my brother?"

Again, the man didn't look offended. He didn't look shocked. He also didn't look resigned to Tony's words which was strange. The only emotion on Thor's (handsome) face was hope. He wasn't expecting Tony to trust Loki, but he was hoping they could give it a shot. That's how Peter interpreted it, at least, and he was losing his cool more and more _because Thor was such an amazing guy and he was looking better and better each passing second_.

"I'm always down for some character development," Tony said with a shrug as if he didn't just disregard the lesson he learned from Steve and Bucky, who were basically family. Steve betrayed Tony in favor of Bucky. That easily could happen again with Thor and Loki, yet Tony was risking it. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that everybody was on the same page now. And a family. And had been a family for a very long time by this point. Peter really did love everything about Tony.

He also loved everything about Thor, but that was totally different.

The four of them walked to the living room. "So, who might you be?" Thor asked, looking at Peter as they all took a seat, Tony and Peter on one couch and Loki and Thor on the other.

Honestly, only a little squeak came out of his throat. It was so quiet and short that it could have been easily missed if nobody was listening for it. Tony, however, knew Peter, and he was _definitely_ listening for it if his poorly hidden laughter was anything to go by. Peter took a breath and tried to sound like a real person as he spoke. "I'm, uh, Peter. Tony's my, uh…" He didn't know how to phrase it. He never had to explain his relationship with Tony before to someone who hadn't known him personally, aside from the press who already knew Peter had been adopted by him. "Dad," he finished lamely.

Thor just nodded as if that wasn't a big deal, but Loki cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "Adopted?" he asked. Peter nodded, and then Loki nodded, too, either to Peter or to himself. It was hard to tell.

The adopted part is what got Thor to look at Tony in confusion. "I must have missed plenty while I've been away."

"No kidding, big guy. But why are you more interested in the adopted part than the 'dad' part? Should I be offended?" By the way he asked that, he knew that Tony wasn't at all offended. Probably just confused, as well.

"You never seemed the adopting type, good friend."

"I knew the kid prior to adoption," Tony explained. "I basically filled the role of 'dad' before, so…" He shrugged. "What is it, exactly, that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Thor straightened his posture and looked Tony directly in the eyes with his hands folded in his lap. The entire thing screamed _respect_. He _respected_ Tony. Peter knew he picked the right celebrity crush. "I know my brother has done many things in the past, such as try to kill you, me, and many, many others. I know he did _succeed_ in many things he has set out to do. Many of his bitter thoughts were genuine, but it's come to my attention that Loki had been working for someone, not entirely out of his free will. He was working for someone and was partly under the influence of a dangerous artifact," Thor explained. "I know, that doesn't excuse much in your eyes. You would rather parish than to allow yourself to be used for such cruel purposes. Many of us, I imagine, would as well. Loki, on the other hand, is not a warrior such as the rest of us. He may be useful in a battle, but that is mostly because of his cunning antics and use of magic on the field. What he has to do to survive varies differently from us. I am not trying to defend his actions. I am only merely explaining them."

"You came all the way to earth to try to convince me of your brother's innocence?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not his innocence," Thor corrected, "for Loki is guilty of all crimes he has been accused of. I do ask two things of you: first, that you take into consideration that, while his actions were mostly his own, he was only trying to survive since the man he was working for would have certainly killed him otherwise, and second, that you allow him a safe space here on earth."

That obviously was not what Tony was expecting because he didn't have an immediate response and he actually broke eye contact with Thor in favor of staring down at the ground. "Pete, could you give us a few minutes?"

"If that's what you want," Peter said, but he hesitated before standing up. "If this is going to be an Avenger issue, though…I think I should be included."

"You will be," Tony agreed. "But we aren't there yet. Let me get through this with Thor first, okay? I promise, you'll have a say in this."

"I do not mean to undermine your parenting, Stark," Loki said, causing everybody to tense and look at him, "but if it is Avengers business, why include a child in the discussion?"

"My brother does not mean it to be an offensive question," Thor broke in before Tony could respond. "More out of curiosity if nothing else, right, Loki?"

"Certainly," Loki agreed. "Thor and I were often brought in to discuss serious topics of Asgard. I am simply wondering why."

Peter decided that he would answer. Tony would give some half-answer and deflect the question to avoid speaking the whole truth. Thor was an Avenger just like the rest of them; he had the right to know. When it came to Loki, well, his Spidey sense was quiet. He trusted that more than he trusted almost anything else aside from Tony, and Tony trusted Thor enough to have his brother in their home with no restraints. "Because I'm one, too," he said. "I wasn't one last time you were on earth, of course, but the Avengers grew. There's more than just the six of you. I'm just one of the ones who came around."

The lack of judgement from either Thor or Loki just meant that being a young fighter meant little to them. They were probably fighting wars at his age or younger, at least in Asgardian age. Loki nodded, having the answer to his question, so Peter stood up. "Loki, would you please step away, as well? I believe this would be an easier discussion if it was just Anthony and I."

"Tony," Tony automatically corrected, "and I agree. Pete, you can go in the lab or your room or something. Loki, there's a kitchen down the hall. Just hang out there for a while. Friday will let you know when to come back."

"She's an artificial intelligence that speaks through the ceiling," Peter explained, seeing the raised eyebrow as he led Loki out of the room.

Moments after leaving Loki in the kitchen, panic rose in Peter's chest for absolutely no reason. It wasn't his Spidey sense, it wasn't distrust in Loki or Thor, and it wasn't worry for Tony's well-being. He thought he was past these pointless panic attacks. But something was making him panic, so he hurried to his room and shut the door beyond him. "Shall I alert Tony?" Friday asked, having grown used to the panic attacks. She would always ask him, and she would almost always alert him even if Peter said no.

"Not yet," Peter said, forcing in breaths at a slower pace than he previously had been. He couldn't control much, but he could control his lungs. "He's busy."

"He's never too busy for you."

"I know. But – But it's fine. I'm…I'm okay. Give me a minute. Please?"

A brief pause, and then, "very well."

There was absolutely no way Loki should have known he had been having a minor panic attack, but Loki was suddenly knocking at his door before opening it himself and inviting himself in. They stared at each other for a few moments before Loki nodded to himself, something he seemed to do a lot. "Fear. An understandable emotion to feel when faced with somebody who destroyed your city."

"I'm not..." He wanted to talk but he was having more than just a subtle panic attack. It wasn't one of those where he's extremely uncomfortable but could still manage to go about whatever he had to do. He couldn't just be anxious in peace because his anxiousness was coming out in gasps for air. He tried again after a second. "Not scared of you."

"My brother would often push aside his fear to look like the fiercest warrior in the lands," Loki said. "Let me enlighten you; it is often braver to admit your fear."

"I know. Not scared."

Loki was quiet for nearly two minutes, staring at Peter the entire time. The staring was only making Peter more anxious, but he wasn't about to lose a staring contest to a god, especially not Loki. Finally, though, Loki looked away and began pacing as he kept his eyes on the floor. "I'm not on the run," he said once he began speaking. "I'm not even out of favor with my planet any more than I usually am. Things are going surprisingly well, I must say. I only want a place to, how do I put this, 'grow'. That's what my brother continues to say. I must grow, he says. I suppose he's right. I've relied too much on my trickery to stay alive in a universe that doesn't particularly care if I stay alive. It would be nice to have a life on this planet where I don't necessarily have to use magic to hide from my enemies and lie to get ahead."

The more Loki talked, the calmer Peter got. It was distracting his mind. "You want to just…live here?"

He shrugged. "I suppose I do."

"So, it isn't an Avengers issue?"

"I cannot stay here without their blessing, but no, there isn't any issue to worry about. Is that why you're fearful?"

"I don't know," Peter admitted. "It happens sometimes."

And Loki just nodded as if that was normal. He took a seat at Peter's desk. "You're an Avenger, then? Were you an Avenger before or after Stark adopted you?"

"Before. We kind of met because of it. He found out my identity, recruited me for help, and we've just kind of became a family."

"And your _real_ family?"

"The Avengers – and Tony and Pep – they're what I have left. They _are_ my real family."

Loki didn't question the answer, but he hummed sympathetically. "What do you do?"

"What?"

"My brother summons lightning, I use magic, Stark has a metal suit, the scientist turns into a green monster. What do you do?"

"Oh. I, uh, I'm really strong, and I have these webs I swing from, and I can heal, like, stupid fast. Stuff like that."

"What do I call you?"

"Well, call me Peter, of course, but my secret name is Spider-Man."

Loki chuckled at that. "Spider-Man?"

"Don't knock it."

The conversation ended because Friday let them know that Tony and Thor were ready for them to come back. The two walked into the room together, causing Tony to raise an eyebrow at them, but he didn't comment on the fact that they were more than likely in the same room together while they waited. "Looks like Rock of Ages is staying," Tony said casually. In a carefree way. As if this _wasn't_ a major decision that could potentially bite them. "Obviously, the rest of the gang has to agree, but let's be real, I was always going to be the hardest to agree."

"I don't know, Steve seems like he'd be a little on the stubborn side," Peter said.

"And he'll come around," Tony shrugged. "Don't forget about Bucky."

"I haven't."

"The real issue is likely to be Barton," Tony said.

"I do not believe Barton will be pleased," Loki agreed.

"Clint's a pretty understanding guy," Peter said with a shrug. "So, how's all of this gonna work, anyways?"

"Thor will pop in more from time to time. Loki will be staying in his own isolated part of the Compound that I'll have built within a few days. When we're at the Tower, he'll be with one of us. You know, it's gonna go pretty how much how you probably expected it to go."

Peter wasn't exactly expecting it to go as smoothly as it did go. Tony must have _really_ grown. Although, he looked very uncomfortable. The type of uncomfortable that nobody who wasn't close to Tony would notice. His left hand kept giving a small twitch every few seconds, but it was barely noticeable. He was smiling his press smile and not his family/friend smile. He actually looked like he could use a nap. Peter could relate. He took a seat on the arm of the couch next to Tony and leaned against his arm to keep him balanced. Tony's hand stopped twitching. "This is hardly the biggest adjustment we've had to make," he said. "Remember when I started driving and you had to actually let me out of your sight every once in a while? Now _that _was a big adjustment."

"I cannot wait to meet the rest of the new Avengers. It has been quite a while since I've visited Earth," Thor said. "Should everybody be at the Tower?"

"They should," Tony confirmed.

"I believe I'll pay them a visit before I leave. I could break the news to them, unless you'd rather handle that responsibility?"

"You got it handled. I'm a phone call away if things go sideways. Me and Pete will catch up to you at the Tower. We'll take the long way."

"Come, then, Loki," Thor declared, standing up. "Until next time." He nodded a goodbye to the two of them and then he and Loki were gone.

Tony let out a heavy sigh and let the tension fall out of his body. His head fell onto Peter. "You okay?" Peter asked. "I know that was a lot."

"I'm all good," Tony said, another sigh falling from his lips. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

"I don't think so. I didn't feel…I don't know, I didn't feel scared, or nervous, or uncomfortable. My sense stayed quiet. My gut stayed quiet."

"Were you and him talking?"

"Yeah," Peter said honestly. "I kind of…Well, I had a moment. I don't know why. I think I just got stressed over what could potentially happen. He came in and just talked. He explained to me why he wants to live here. He asked a couple of questions, like what I do and when I became an Avenger."

"I'm sorry all of this caused you to 'have a moment' as you put it. You all good now?" Tony was looking at Peter now. Some of the tension returned.

"All good, I swear," Peter said, hoping that would calm Tony down again. "I wasn't actively scared or anything. I think having Loki here could be fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah. Thor, too, but he didn't sound like he was planning on staying. It'll be cool to really get to know them, you know? I mean, I guess you do, since you already met them before, but still, you know what I mean? It's different. It could be interesting. And, I know Loki can't be trusted right off the bat cause of everything he did before and all that, but I think getting to know him will be cool."

"I'm glad you're so optimistic about all of this," Tony said. "Because I still have to call Pepper, and she is going to tear me a new one when I tell her."


End file.
